Eight William & Mary alumni join the over 200 Fulbright student awardees for the university.

Eight William & Mary alumni continue to solidify the university's global outreach as Fulbright U.S. Student Scholars, traveling to locations from Spain to Indonesia in the 2026-2027 academic year.

The Fulbright Program is a collaborative effort between the U.S. and more than 160 countries across the globe. Fulbright fellowships and scholarships provide opportunities for students, educators, professionals and scholars to teach English, pursue graduate studies or conduct research worldwide.

The Fulbright U.S. Student program is an international academic exchange program designed to increase international understanding and collaboration. Applicants are evaluated based on academic performance, experience and training, linguistic proficiency and extracurricular activities.

Since 1949, William & Mary has produced more than 200 Fulbright student awardees in addition to this year's recipients:

• Georgia Freyer '26, English teaching assistant in Spain
• Lia Feit '26, English teaching assistant in Georgia
• Catherine Zimmerman '25, English teaching assistant in Taiwan
• Hazel Vineet '25, English teaching assistant in Indonesia
• Aditi Mishra '26, research in India
• Elizabeth Nielsen '25, English teaching assistant in Germany
• Anya Ruzicka '25, Cert '26, M.A.Ed. '26 English teaching assistant in Rwanda
• Rameen Sajjad '25, English teaching assistant in Indonesia

Georgia Freyer '26

Receiving the Fulbright ETA award was an affirmation to Freyer that her decision to pursue a liberal arts education was the correct one. Encouraged to pursue a Fulbright by Liz Losh, Duane A. and Virginia S. Dittman Professor of English & American Studies, Freyer will be teaching English in Logroño, Spain, while pursuing an independent research project on how the Spanish Civil War is taught in schools.

A government and history double major, her work in the International Justice Lab and with the Comisión por la Memoria in La Plata, Argentina, grew her passion for democracy and politics. She's eager to draw upon her experience in Spain, seeing how different political cultures impact how dictatorships impact society and history.

"From the classes that taught me how to think critically about historical memory to the research trip to Pamplona that made me fall in love with Spain, this feels like a culmination of the last four years of learning," she said.

Lia Feit '26

Feit grew up surrounded by Georgian family members in the United States who have endeared her to the rich traditions of Georgian food, music and generosity. She has always sought the opportunity to spend an extended period of time in the country where her grandfather was born and raised, and with the Fulbright scholarship, she'll finally be able to do so.

A double major in philosophy and government, Feit will be teaching English to university students in Tbilisi, Georgia. She's confident that the analytical and communicative skills she's honed in throughout her time at W&M will aid her as she learns the Georgian language.

Catherine Zimmermann '25

A psychology and history double major, Zimmermann previously gained experience through the Freeman Fellowship while working with young English learners in the Philippines.

The opportunity through the Aprendieno Juntos program sparked her interest in being an English Teaching Assistant in Taiwan for Fulbright.

"Fulbright has always been a dream that I was too scared to even try for," said Zimmermann. "I'm so excited to experience a new culture and work with kids. I'm hoping that this upcoming year will help me in my path towards becoming a child psychologist."

Hazel Vineet '25

Vineet believes that education is the most powerful tool to create lasting change in the world. As a Fulbright ETA in Indonesia, she hopes to deepen her understanding of accessibility in education by working directly with students and teachers. She aims to bring her knowledge back to the United States after her program, where in her current work in federal consulting, she plans to share her insights with policymakers and communities committed to building supportive and effective learning environments.

A public policy major, she previously completed the Freeman Fellowship working at the binational Fulbright Commission in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 2023. She was also an executive board member for the South Asian Student Association for two years and earned an Inclusive Excellence Award at William & Mary.

"I am so excited and grateful to have received the Fulbright ETA Grant," she said. "Learning from Indonesia's emancipated curriculum reform, which fosters student-centered learning, will give me valuable comparative insights into how systemic change can succeed."

Anya Ruzicka '25, Cert '26, M.A.Ed. '26

During her junior year, Ruzicka participated in the School of Education's study abroad program to Rwanda. On that trip, she saw classrooms as a space for healing, connection and empowerment. After visiting various memorials, classes and villages that were impacted by the Rwandan genocide, she knew she wanted to honor student voices as an ETA.

"I am beyond honored," Ruzicka said. "This opportunity will allow me to grow as an educator, learning innovative teaching strategies from Rwandan teachers while helping students use language as a tool for connection and empowerment."

The focus of her study abroad trip was the concept of "ubumuntu," or "humanity" in Kinyarwanda. She plans to foster the spirit of ubumuntu through responsive teaching and creative expression in the classroom.

Rameen Sajjad '25

Sajjad will be completing his English Teaching Assistant Program in Indonesia. Introduced to the country as a Freeman Fellow in 2024, he calls his return to the country a "full circle" moment, redrawing the way that he sees the world.

His initial curiosity began with a commitment to service, with Fulbright as a natural next step. A data science major, he was inspired to act as a cultural ambassador to combine his analytical background with a passion for community education.

"William & Mary taught me that an inch of movement is better than a mile of intentions," said Sajjad. "It gave me the grit to do things scared, do them hard, do them happy, but above all, to just do them. This frame of mind is my greatest takeaway, and it will guide my journey in Indonesia."

William Oster, Communications Specialist

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